Year 8 Castles




Château de Chillon

Montreux (Vaud)

The Chillon Castle (Château de Chillon) is located on the shore of Lake Geneva near Montreux, Switzerland. The castle
consists of 25 independent buildings that were gradually connected and now form a single whole. The oldest parts of the castle have not been definitively dated, but the first written record of the castle is in 1160 or 1005.[1] From the mid 12th century, the castle was home to the Counts of Savoy, and it was greatly expanded in the 13th century by Pietro II. The Castle was never taken in a siege, but did change hands through treaties.



Château de Yverdon

Yverdon'les'Bains (Vaud)
Le château a été construit dès 1260 par Pierre de Savoie pour protéger la ville sur son flanc est. Il s'agissait d'une construction défensive, de plan carré et entourée d'eau. Par la suite, le bâtiment a connu plusieurs remaniements. Les seigneurs savoyards puis les baillis l'ont habité et, dès 1805, Pestalozzi s'y est établi avec son institut. Aujourd'hui, le Musée occupe une grande partie du Château.



Château de Gruyères

Gruyères, near Bulle (FR)

The Castle of Gruyères (in french: château de Gruyères), located in the medieval town of Gruyères, Fribourg, is one of the most famous in Switzerland. The building was built between 1270 and 1282, following the typical square plan of the fortifications in Savoy. It was the property of the Counts of Gruyères until the bankruptcy of the Count Michel in 1554. His creditors the cantons of Fribourg and Bern shared his earldom. From 1555 to 1798 the castle became residence to the bailiffs and then to the prefects sent by Fribourg. In 1849 the castle was sold to the Bovy and Balland families, who used the castle as their summer residency and restored it. The castle was then bought back by the canton of Fribourg in 1938, made into a museum and opened to the public. Since 1993, a foundation ensures the conservation as well as the highlighting of the building and the art collection. (link)

external image 250px-Gruy%C3%A8res01.JPG


Château de Bulle

Bulle (FR)

Bulle, Fribourg
"Bulle aurait été fondée avant le IXe siècle, dans l'actuel district de la Gruyère. Mais la ville, dépendant des princes évêques de Lausanne, ne faisait pas partie du Comté de Gruyère. Le premier écrit parlant de l'existence de Bulle, date de l'an 855 ; Bulle apparaît alors sous le nom de Butulum."

http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/f/F895.php
Read (in French) the very interesting history of Bulle in the Dictionaire Historique de la Suissse, which is more accurate than the Wikipedia article above.






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Château in Bulle
Château in Bulle